Social Distance Dining

3/17/2020

FQJ's Hunkering Down blog

Central Grocery's classic muffuletta delivered to your door.

Here in New Orleans, you don't have to go out to feast on some of the world's best food. Check out five of our French Quarter faves in the first of our new Social Distance Dining columns.

- by Kim Ranjbar

In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards' office recently announced the closure of all bars and limiting restaurants to take out and delivery services only.

Though many locals have opted to buy out foodstuffs from grocery stores with plans to prepare their own meals, consideration must be made for all of our incredible restaurants (and their employees) who are facing a situation that could easily lead to mass closures.

How awful would it be if several of your favorite joints were never able to reopen after this is all over?

If our community's current situation has you feeling rather Katrina-ish, don't give up hope! There are many things we can do to to help sustain the restaurant industry long enough, the first and foremost being ordering out.

Thanks to services like UberEats, DoorDash, and Grubhub, not to mention in-house delivery, we can make a sincere effort to sustain our incredible, food-focused city … only from a distance.

Who says you can't have a delicious French Quarter dining experience from the safety of your own home (or even hotel room)? Sure, you're missing out on atmosphere and friendly table service, but on the other hand there's a super-lax dress code, no nearby tables filled with diners who talk and laugh at decibel-levels detrimental to the human ear, and you can feel free belch loudly in approbation without public disfavor. What's not to like?

If you're living or staying in the French Quarter, here are a few favorites that deliver deliciousness right to your door:

Verti Marte – (504) 525-4767

Verti Marte's Royal po-boy, photo by Kim Ranjbar.

A longtime, not-so-tightly-held secret, Verti Marte is known, at least by French Quarter denizens, to be a great source for late-night eats (it's open 24/7) and neighborhood delivery. In case you are not privy, this Royal Street corner store and deli offers everything from simple breakfast plates and po-boys to their “specialty” sandwiches like the “Royal Feast” with pot roast beef, turkey, ham pepper jack cheese, black olives, grilled onions and their signature “Wow” sauce.

Stanley Restaurant – Uber Eats

Admittedly, it sucks not having a window-seat to the music-filled beauty and wonder of Jackson Square while dining, but at least you don't have to give up devouring an unforgettable, NOLA-esque brunch! Owned and operated by accomplished chef and Louisiana native Scott Boswell, Stanley has been open since 2004 and is well on its way to becoming a Quarter institution.

While its location is obviously a huge draw, the food is just as enticing with dishes like the Banana's Foster French Toast with their own vanilla bean ice cream or the Breaux Bridge Benedict – thick sliced French bread stacked with house made boudin, Chisesi ham and and perfectly poached eggs smothered in Hollandaise sauce. Stanley also offers excellent lunch entrees from po-boys a 'plenty to a mouth-watering Reuben with their smoked in-house, Cajun corned beef pastrami.

Central Grocery –DoorDash

Open for over a century, Central Grocery is one of those French Quarter institutions that attracts both tourists and locals by the multitudes for its famous local sandwich, the muffuletta. When purchased whole, the muffuletta is an Italian feast prepared on a 9-inch Sicilian sesame loaf and stuffed with salami, mortadella, ham, Swiss, provolone and Central's own distinctive olive salad. The menu available through DoorDash is limited to the deli's signature muffuletta and a few sides, but honestly, what more do you really need?

Mahony's Po-Boys & Seafood – Uber Eats

Mahoney's fried chicken liver po-boy, photo by Kim Ranjbar.

A popular Uptown po-boy spot for over a decade, Mahony's opened a second location in the French Quarter less than two years ago in late 2018. Appreciated for it's chef-inspired perspective, this particular po-boy place was one of the first to “elevate” New Orleans' favorite sandwich with variations like fried chicken liver and Creole cole slaw, Abita-braised short rib or bourguignon-style roast beef all served on Leidenheimer French bread – and don't forget those award-winning, shoestring onion rings!

Mahony's also offers classic, local entrees like red beans and rice with a side of smoked andouille, crawfish etoufee and seafood gumbo. Both locations plan to offer curbside and take-out as well!

Mahoney's fried onion rings, photo by Kim Ranjbar.

Felipe's Taqueria – Uber Eats, Grubhub, Postmates

If you're seeking something a little different, why not try Felipe's Taqueria? Lauded for consistent use of fresh ingredients, this local, Tex-Mex chain is available through several online delivery services and their delivery menu, while simpler than the in-house version, still offers a great selection of dishes.

Try everything from their Chicken Tortilla Soup and chorizo queso to super burritos and tacos with your choice of protein and fixins'. Don't forget to add a gorgeous custard flan or warm, cinnamon churro to your order. After all, at times like these we could all use a little dessert.

Though she was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kim Ranjbar felt New Orleans calling her home as soon as she hit puberty. A graduate of granola U (a.k.a. Sonoma State University), Kim took her passion for the written word and dragged it over 2000 miles to flourish in the city she loves. After more than seventeen years as a transplant — surviving hurricanes, levee failures, oil spills, boil water advisories and hipster invasions — Kim hopes to eventually earn the status of local and be welcomed into the fold. Feel free to check out her blog at http://sucktheheads.com/ or contact her at kimranjbar@gmail.com.

Hunkering Down